Saturday, July 25, 2015

Earlier this month, Red Gold launched another Summer Grilling Season with loads of great recipes. One of my favorites from last year made an appearance again this year--the Spicy Tomato Burger! This burger is seriously good and so, so easy to make. I have to tell you that my burger making skills have historically been lackluster at best. That was before I discovered the "secret" ingredient.....wait for it....canned diced tomatoes! In this case, it's the flavorful Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies...

It's always a good day when tomato products show up at my door....

Simply drain a 10 or 14 ounce can of Red Gold Petite Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies and mix it into a pound of lean ground beef. Add a little salt and pepper, form into patties, and you are good to go. I like to add a nice slice of pepper-jack cheese to make it complete. Now wasn't that easy?

Of course, you don't have to stop at just this flavor combo. Some of you may remember the Caribbean Chicken Burger I made last year. Simply mix a pound of ground chicken or turkey with a can of Petite Diced Tomatoes with Cilantro and Lime (well drained), a slightly beaten egg, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, salt and pepper, and voila! another delicious burger is made!

Caribbean Chicken Burger

Let's not forget our toppings. Guess what new product Red Gold has just come out with? Yes! Sriracha Ketchup! I have a preview bottle that is almost gone. Luckily, this ketchup rolls out nationwide by the end of July.

You can find both of these recipes and more grilling ideas (using diced tomatoes!) on Red Gold's website.

It all started a couple of weeks ago when I made a batch of cinnamon rolls for work. They were such a success that I decided on another batch, this time swapping out the milk for buttermilk and the orange frosting for lemon. To. Die. For. Who knew that buttermilk could make such a difference?!

The beginning of a beautiful thing.....

Of course I didn't stop at Lemon-Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls. No, I went one further. Blueberries. I added blueberries and created the best cinnamon rolls ever. At least until I come up with another combination....

Lemon-Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls

Butter, sugar, cinnamon, more butter, more sugar...these cinnamon rolls may the the best ever!

Ingredients

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 (.25 ounce) package instant yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)

1 egg, room temperature, slightly beaten

3 1/4 cups to 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 cups fresh blueberries, optional

Frosting:

2 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon butter, softened

2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon peel

1 cup powdered sugar

1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

Heat the buttermilk, 1/4 cup butter, and 1/4 cup sugar in a small saucepan until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool until the temperature is between 110 and 120 degrees F. (bathwater warm).

In a large mixing bowl, combine the milk mixture with the yeast, egg, 2 cups of the flour, and the salt. Beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has just pulled together, turn it onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 7 minutes. (Alternately, just use the dough hook on your mixer and let the mixer knead the dough for about 5 minutes).

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning it once. Cover the bowl with a clean damp towel and allow the dough to rise in a draft-free area until it is doubled in size, about 1 hour. In the meantime, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and softened butter in a small bowl.

Gently deflate the dough and let it rest for 5 minutes. Roll out the dough into a 12x9-inch rectangle. Spread the dough with the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Sprinkle the blueberries over the top, if desired.

Starting from the long end, roll up the dough and pinch the seam closed. Cut into 12 equal sized pieces and place into a greased 9x13-inch pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. While the rolls are rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and frost while still warm.

For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and the butter in a medium bowl. Add the lemon peel and the lemon juice, blending until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat to desired consistency, adding additional lemon juice if needed.

The Original Dutch Baker

My Heritage

On September 17, 1944, my father, Joost Stapelbroek, was delivering bread by bicycle in the Dutch countryside. He looked up in the sky and to his amazement, he saw the 101st Aireborne Division descending into his Nazi-occupied country to begin Operation Market-Garden and to begin the liberation of Holland. His admiration of those wonderful Screaming Eagles led to his love of all things American and ultimately to his decision to relocate his family to this fabulous country.